Egypt supports the Syrian people and has been consulting with the Syrian national opposition, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry on Tuesday. He added that Egypt is in close cooperation with the Syrian rebels.

In an interview with CNN, Shoukry said the Syrian regime led by President Bashar Al-Assad may potentially seize Aleppo; he added, however: “The Syrian opposition and the Syrian people deserve the opportunity to take matters into their own hands in a peaceful political process.”

Shoukry said Egypt is maintaining a close relationship with the UN envoy to Syria and filed a draft resolution with Spain and New Zealand to the United Nations security council, but was vetoed by Russia and China. This motion primarily aimed to put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and help humanitarian aid access the entire country.

In another interview with PBS, the foreign minister said President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi did not specify whether Egypt supports a particular political faction, nor had he referred to the Syrian regime when he spoke of Egypt’s stance on Syria. Al-Sisi said the national armies would be better off adhering to the responsibility of fighting terrorism in their countries, instead of relying on foreign intervention.